46: Indiana Democrats' Projected House Total
The projected gain would end the Republican supermajority and force a new dynamic in the state legislature.
By Luka Evans ·
House Minority Leader Phil GiaQuinta told reporters on Wednesday that his caucus is on track to win 46 seats in the Indiana House of Representatives. That total is five seats short of a majority, but it is enough to break the Republican supermajority that has controlled the chamber since Democrats held 30 seats before the Tuesday election.
The shift in power follows a Tuesday vote where Republicans lost key leadership positions. House Speaker Todd Huston of Fishers, Majority Caucus Chair Greg Steuerwald of Avon, and assistant majority whips Julie Olthoff of Crown Point and Dave Hall of Norman all lost their seats. Republicans also suffered defeats in the Indianapolis suburbs, Fort Wayne, South Bend, and northwest Indiana.
Huston attributed the losses to "national headwinds" that proved difficult for his members to overcome. In a statement, he expressed pride in the economic progress made in Indiana, including job growth and tax reductions, while acknowledging the challenging nature of the midterm results.
GiaQuinta argued that the new seat count will change how the House operates. Because Republicans will no longer hold a supermajority, they will need Democratic cooperation to conduct business and assign committee roles. GiaQuinta noted that closer margins often lead to greater bipartisanship, citing his past experience in the majority when he had to seek Republican support to pass legislation.
The Senate saw fewer Democratic gains, though the party defeated Republican Sen. Liz Brown of Fort Wayne and Sen. Ron Alting of Lafayette. Democrats also won seats vacated by Sen. Kyle Walker of Indianapolis, who did not seek reelection, and seats held by Sen. Dan Dernulc of Highland and Sen. Linda Rogers of Granger, who lost in their primaries. Senate Republican Chris Garten of Charlestown remained the leading candidate for president pro tempore, with a lead of fewer than 500 votes as of Wednesday morning.
Political analyst Matt Bell, a former Republican state representative, described the House results as exceeding the 2010 election where Republicans flipped control. He noted that unseating a speaker is rare, having occurred only twice in the past 30 years. Bell observed that the loss of committee chairs like Rep. Robert Behning of Indianapolis and Rep. Ed Soliday of Valparaiso removes institutional knowledge but creates opportunities for new legislators to assume leadership roles.
House Republicans announced on Wednesday that Rep. Ben Smaltz of Auburn will serve as the new speaker. Rep. Matt Lehman of Berne was selected as majority leader, and Rep. Jake Teshka of North Liberty as majority caucus chair. House Democrats reported no changes to their leadership team as of Wednesday afternoon. Senate Democrats will make their selections on Friday. The full bodies will elect their final leadership and swear in new members on Organization Day, Nov. 17.
